Atlanta firefighters were warned Tuesday to keep their vehicles’ insides “clean” to avoid thefts, especially since they’re often away protecting life and property.
Police said thieves looted four pickups outside Fire Station No. 11 at Atlantic Station early Tuesday morning.
The burglaries were the latest in a string of thefts, said Janet Ward, spokeswoman for the fire department. This year, Fire Station Nos. 11, 14, and 15 have all been hit twice, Ward said in an email.
“Those are the only ones we know about,” she said.
Crew members didn’t discover the crime at Fire Station No. 11 until 5:50 a.m., but they suspected the Dodge Ram 1500, two Dodge Rams and a Ford F-150 were broken into when they responded to a bogus call of a tree down at Marietta Street and Howell Mill Road, the police report said.
Thieves stole a laptop, an iPad, a .40-caliber Glock pistol with an extended magazine and a vehicle owner’s manual, according to a police report.
Investigators were trying to trace the 911 call. Shortly before the bogus call at 2 a.m., Atlantic Station security reported a “suspicious black Lexus” parked at the corner of the fire station.
All fire departments are having security upgrades this year, with installation of security cameras on the short-term to-do list, Ward said.
Check back for updates.
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